[rezel]

I'm actually very curious about the K701's and was looking to buy one in the near future (spent too much lately). I don't mind if it only works for certain genres, just something with a more balanced sound is what I'm looking for.

 

[BournePerfect]

Quote:

Received the AKG K701 and I'm not very impressed. It doesn't really work for many genres. The Pro 900 is a much better all-rounder. Even at the genres where the K701 does well the Pro 900 is not far behind. What surprised me the most was that the Pro 900 has a better soundstage on most of the genres the K701 doesn't do well at (i.e. rock). It wasn't even the lack of bass that turned me down, it was how unimpressed I was with how the K701 was supposed to handle mids and soundstage. Totally not worth it. I'm going to get rid of the K701 as quickly as possible. What would be a good price point taking in mind the phones are 3 years old and the ear pads are slightly worn out?

Keep in mind the K701 changes a LOT with burn in-and it needs a ton of it. It changes even more than the Pro 900s-quite a bit more actually. Also, they seem to be very picky with amps, something that isn't really a problem on the Ultrasone.
 
-Daniel
 
 

 

[rezel]

^ They're three years old, aren't they? How much burn in could you need?

 

[JesperZ]

Quote:

Keep in mind the K701 changes a LOT with burn in-and it needs a ton of it. It changes even more than the Pro 900s-quite a bit more actually. Also, they seem to be very picky with amps, something that isn't really a problem on the Ultrasone.
 
-Daniel
 
 

As it's 3 years old I'd expect burn-in to not be an issue. I'm not saying the K701 is bad, I just don't find much incentive to keep it when I have a headphone which is better in most aspects.

 

[euwemax]

Hi All,
 
I also just took the plunge and got myself a Pro 900, albeit at the price of $380 and not $350 like many of the other people here =(. Have been burning it in for a week now but I find the highs a little bit much for me so I went to do the kees mod on them but the highs are still pretty piercing. I listen to alot of vocal and when the singers go crazy on the high notes its quite piercing. I was wondering if anyone else has any idea on how I can reduce the highs? I've tried putting more felt on the front board where the holes are but no luck =/. The Ultrasone 900 is awesome in the other aspects though =) Thanks for any advice!

 

[JesperZ]

Quote:

Hi All,
 
I also just took the plunge and got myself a Pro 900, albeit at the price of $380 and not $350 like many of the other people here =(. Have been burning it in for a week now but I find the highs a little bit much for me so I went to do the kees mod on them but the highs are still pretty piercing. I listen to alot of vocal and when the singers go crazy on the high notes its quite piercing. I was wondering if anyone else has any idea on how I can reduce the highs? I've tried putting more felt on the front board where the holes are but no luck =/. The Ultrasone 900 is awesome in the other aspects though =) Thanks for any advice!

 
You can either EQ as I did the first couple of months, or just wait it out. Some people believe the piercing highs disappear with burn-in, and other people believe you get accustomed to the headphones over time. Whoever is right, my perception of the Pro 900 after half a year is that they are no where nearly as piercing as they were when I first got them, and I no longer need to EQ to enjoy them. I recommend EQ'ing them for a couple of months and then turn it off when appropriate.

 

[Madpierrot]

I had both the 750 and 900 at one point and th 900s are definitely a better overall headphone. The 750s were more forward and aggressive and for some songs I actually enjoyed it slightly more (electronic music etc). Keep in mind that the 750 and 900 both still leak sound and may not suit your needs. If you can, get both and send the loser back. Everytime I've done that though I've ended up with the more expensive pair... 
 
Quote:

Nothing particularly wrong with the 750s except maybe the color. Its just that I am trying to figure out if the 900s will fulfill my needs better than the 750s. I hear that the 900s have a better sound stage than the 750s and not has crazy on the highs. It sounds like I am  trying to justify getting the 900s over the 750s but I have the money and I want the best experience as possible. The reason I am not looking at the 2900s is because need closed headphones to be isolated and to keep from disturbing other people.

 

 

[audiogamma]

Quote:

Hi All,
 
I also just took the plunge and got myself a Pro 900, albeit at the price of $380 and not $350 like many of the other people here =(. Have been burning it in for a week now but I find the highs a little bit much for me so I went to do the kees mod on them but the highs are still pretty piercing. I listen to alot of vocal and when the singers go crazy on the high notes its quite piercing. I was wondering if anyone else has any idea on how I can reduce the highs? I've tried putting more felt on the front board where the holes are but no luck =/. The Ultrasone 900 is awesome in the other aspects though =) Thanks for any advice!

The 900s FR is V-shaped. I don't know if they'll ever be great for vocals. I bought mine to listen to EDM and save my HD650s and HD25s for the mid-centric stuff.
 

 

[euwemax]

Hey everyone, thanks for your replies =). I 'moved up' to the Ultrasone pro 900s from my ultrasone pro 500s. So when I first heard the highs on the 900s I was a little 'shocked'. Looks like I have to let it burn in some more or do the EQ like JesperZ mentioned. Well I agree that the pro 900s arent the best vocal headphones, I have a K702 running off a Fiio E9 and that is definitely better for me in terms of vocal.
 
The ultrasones are my "mobile" gear. I pair them with my Graham Voyager Amp and I get really good separation of the voice and the instruments which allows me to hear the vocals more clearly. The unfortunate thing is though.. I think the Graham Voyager also has a V shaped FR... so it seems that it might be the one causing the problem =(

 

[rezel]

I actually loved how 'piercing' the highs were when I first got my Pro900. Unfortunately the burn in must of kicked in because I just don't get that effect anymore.

 

[euwemax]

Quote:

I actually loved how 'piercing' the highs were when I first got my Pro900. Unfortunately the burn in must of kicked in because I just don't get that effect anymore.

Well I must admit the highs on the pro 900 are nothing like I've ever heard from other headphones, just not my cup of tea though ><. Any idea how long after you burned in did the highs go off? I'm at 200 + Hours now, I guess its more?

 

[rezel]

Sorry, no idea mate.
I just loved the sound from the moment I first had them, so I've never left them burning in.
I guess it's been over 200 hours of listening time for my Pro900's. o_O
 
How about you try 'brain burn-in', listen to your headphones more and let your brain get adjusted to the sound. It might improve (get used to) the sound more to your liking.

 

[Jibbie]

This
 
Quote:

I just loved the sound from the moment I first had them, so I've never left them burning in.
 

 

 

[euwemax]

I see... well thats too bad for me haha. Well I am thinking of modding them and hopefully some of the highs will be gone when I'm done with them. Gonna change them to wood cups, I've just finished doing up the wooded cups plus the driver mounting board... some pics:
 

 
I used my ultrasone pro 550 pads as a template when I was making them so they fit the pro 900 too. Now I'm stuck and finding a way of attaching them to the pro 900 headband... which is not going along so well. Anyone done any custom cups for their ultrasones can share any knowledge with me? Did you guys build your own headband from scratch or reuse the stock headband? I know its some sort of ball joint, but I cant find anything at my hardware store which is close to that.. Thanks for any help!

 

[rezel]

Wow! That looks impressive.
Personally a wood hater but still very cool that you're making your own cups.
Good luck to you.